Seasonal frugal buying: how to take advantage of the Halloween season even if you don't celebrate Halloween

Boo.

So that's pretty much the extent of my Halloween celebration this year.  My husband and I are observant Jews and we don't celebrate Halloween.  But it's pretty apparent that the rest of the world does, and how.

According to a recent survey conducted by The National Retail Federation, 161 million people plan on celebrating Halloween this year, the highest number in the survey’s nine-year history. That's a whole heckuvalot of people;  it makes Halloween into a huge, multi-billion dollar industry (nearly $7 billion, to be more specific). I can't open a newspaper or look at a retail website without seeing scores of sales for Halloween candy, costumes, decorations, and party goods. So how does someone who doesn't celebrate Halloween take advantage of all this retail activity?  I thought you'd never ask.

1. Costumes:  do you celebrate Purim or do you or your kids have any other occasion to dress up in costumes?  If you do, keep your eyes peeled for Halloween costume sales, and in particular, post-Halloween costume clearances.  In recent years, I've gotten Purim wigs, masks and flashing jewelry for a steal during the first week of November, when all the stores that sell Halloween costumes put them on clearance. If you've got kids, you can score some amazing deals on costume clearances.  Perhaps you might not want them dressing up like ghouls for Purim, but I'll bet you can adapt a fairy princess costume to look like a Queen Esther ensemble?  And really, is there ever not a good time for a Nixon mask?
2. Candy:  here again, have Purim in mind, but candy can be used for so many other occasions, like birthdays, parties, office celebrations, Shabbat desserts, etc.  If the candy is on the perishable side, refrigerate or even freeze it. The week after Halloween is a candy clearance bonanza, so unless you find some awesome candy sales as we get closer to Halloweeen, I would save my candy coupons for the first week of November, and see what kind of bargains you can snag by stacking a clearance sale with a coupon.  
3. Party goods and decorations:  same idea, but here you'll need to show a little more discretion.  While fake tombstones and vampire blood probably won't help you out when you are planning your next engagement party or sheva brachot, there are probably tons of sales on plain plastic silverware, clear plastic tablecloths,  clear plastic cups, etc.  Look through the stacks of Halloween party goods to see what could be usable and adaptable to non-Halloween events.  Again, you could potentially score some great bargains.  I had a friend who bought 240 pieces of plain orange plastic Halloween silverware for $5 last year at Walmart.  She coordinated it with some beautiful autumn-themed plates and cups that had pictures of different colored turning leaves, and used it for her Thanksgiving table settings.  It was a very clever way of incorporating plasticware that was a bright, somewhat flashy color into an elegant table design.
4. Crafts:  because so many people get creative about their Halloween celebrations and make their own costumes, trick-or-treat bags, party decor, etc., the crafts stores have great Halloween sales and promotions, and even better post-Halloween clearance sales.  Don't even think about going into a Joann, Michael's or Hobby Lobby store without a coupon in hand. You can score some great general craft supplies, candles, material, etc. by stacking a sale with a coupon.

These are just some ways to take advantage of the shopping season (and post-season clearances), even if you're not celebrating.   A smart frugal shopper is on the lookout for great buys twelve months a year.  Have you got any Halloween season shopping ideas that I haven't mentioned here?  Please post in the comments below.

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